DIET SWITCHES HONEY BEE LARVAE FROM QUEEN PATHWAY TO WORKER DEVELOPMENT

Posted October 1, 2018

DIET SWITCHES HONEY BEE LARVAE FROM QUEEN PATHWAY TO WORKER DEVELOPMENT

Scientists at Queen Mary University of London and Australian National University have unraveled how changes in nutrition in the early development of honey bees can result in vastly different adult characteristics. Queen and worker honey bees are almost genetically identical, but receive a different diet as larvae. The researchers have found that specific protein patterns …

Posted October 1, 2018

SPECIAL BEEKEEPER TOUR TO CUBA

November 10 – 18, 2018 – featuring visits to apiaries, witnessing the rearing of queen bees, visiting honey processing plants, research centers, an agriculture center, and packaging plants. Visit with local beekeepers. This is a unique fully inclusive tour arranged with the cooperation of the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture and includes: island transportation, hotels, private …

Posted October 1, 2018

HONEY FROM THE EARTH: BEEKEEPING AND HONEY HUNTING ON SIX CONTINENTS

Eric Tourneret and Sylla de Saint Pierre Large-format hardcover, 352 p., over 330 impressive photographs Deep Snow Press, October 2018 The internationally acclaimed honey bee photographer Eric Tourneret spent fifteen years traveling the world to capture the breathtaking diversity of bees and beekeeping traditions on six continents. This book has it all: Epic scenes of …

Milwaukee Waukesha Beekeepers Association

Posted October 1, 2018

Letters to the Editor – October 2018

Beekeepers Helping Beekeepers The Milwaukee Waukesha Beekeepers Association lost a long time member recently. Richard Suleski passed away July 4th, at the age of 78. He was a long time beekeeper at Honey Acres, and operated his own commercial beekeeping operation for many years. He did presentations, training and shared his knowledge freely with new …

Posted October 1, 2018

The Surprising Benefit of Laying Workers

Laying workers are usually unwelcome pests, but they are also a window into how insect societies may have evolved. I didn’t understand why my queen cell builder wasn’t rearing any of my grafts. I usually have a deft grafting hand and expected the bees to start drawing out around 90% of yesterday’s queen cups into …

Posted October 1, 2018

Propolis and the Resin Connection

When the weather turns warm, propolis can string into fragrant tendrils like fresh-from-the-oven mozzarella cheese. When cold, it can shatter like bone china, yielding knife-sharp shards. In especially hot seasons, it can run like water down the inside of hive walls before hardening into translucent droplets that glisten like gemstones. As fascinating as propolis is, …

Posted October 1, 2018

The Classroom – October 2018

I AM MORE OF A BELIEVER A Statement from Jerry’s Personal Education Reinforcement You most likely have heard of the term “Varroa Bomb” as coined by Dr. Dennis vanEngelsdorp. Because of varroa mites, honey bees cannot live and establish long-term colonies in the wild and survive. Honey bees are more like your pet dog or …

Posted October 1, 2018

Notes from the Lab – October 2018

Nothing against honey bees, but is there anyone out there who doesn’t like bumble bees? They’re cute, fuzzy, often featured in children’s storybooks, and they also happen to be the most important pollinator of Solanaceous plants such as tomatoes and peppers. Yes, all you salsa and hot sauce aficionados out there are bumble bee fans, …

Posted October 1, 2018

More Early 19th Century American Beehives

In the last article, we explored the rarely seen historical beehives in the era when they were built like fancy elegant furniture. The oversized windows of the hives let intrigued minds wonder about the esoteric working of a bee colony. Beekeeping in those days provided a choice sweet at the table and so it remained …

Posted October 1, 2018

Shifting Through Tasks

Here are many different types of jobs in a honey bee hive. Cells need to be cleaned and polished, so the queen can lay eggs. The rapidly developing larvae need brood food. To survive, the colony requires both nectar and pollen. Returning foragers carrying loads of nectar or water need to be unloaded, so they …

DIET SWITCHES HONEY BEE LARVAE FROM QUEEN PATHWAY TO WORKER DEVELOPMENT

Posted October 1, 2018